As direct-to-consumer genetic testing becomes increasingly popular, lawmakers are seeking to tighten protections for consumers who undergo testing, MPR News reports.
In Minnesota, for instance, Rep. Eric Lucero (R-Dayton) has introduced a bill that would ensure that individuals, and not the companies, own their genetic information, would require testing firms to disclose more information to consumers up front, and would limit the use or storage of data to what the customers consented too, it adds. "The law is not keeping up with technology, because innovation far outpaces what government is able to do in terms of controls," Lucero tells MPR News.
Meanwhile, at the federal level, MPR News notes that Congress is also weighing data privacy bills that have prompted testing firms like Ancestry, 23andMe, and Helix to band together to form a lobbying group, Coalition for Genetic Data Protection. "We certainly understand and support consumer protection and consumer privacy we think that's critically important," Kathy Hibbs, chief legal officer at 23andMe, tells MPR News.